theodore roosevelt-第38章
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has been elected the。 Machine instinctively acts as his master。 A strong man； like President Cleveland； may hold out against the Bosses of his party； but the penalty he has to pay is to find himself bereft of support and his party shattered。 This might have happened in Roosevelt's case also； if he had not been more tactful than Cleveland was in dealing with his enemies。
He now had to learn the bitter knowledge of the trials which beset a President whose vision outsoars that of the practical rulers of his party。 In the House of Representatives there was a little group led by the Speaker； Joseph G。 Cannon； of Illinois； who controlled that part of Congress with despotic arrogance。 In the Senate there was a similar group of political oligarchs； called the Steering Committee； which decided what questions should be discussed； what bills should be killed； and what others should be passed。 Aldrich； of Rhode Island； headed this。 A multi…millionaire himself； he was the particular advocate of the Big Interests。 Next came Allison； of Iowa； an original Republican； who entered Congress in 1863 and remained there for the rest of his life； a hide…bound party man； personally honest and sufficiently prominent to be 〃talked of〃 for Vice President on several occasions。 He was rather the peacemaker of the Steering Committee； having the art of reconciling antagonists and of smoothing annoying angles。 A little older； was Orville H。 Platt； the Senator from Connecticut who died in 1905； and was esteemed a model of virtue among the Senators of his time。 As an offset to the men of threescore and ten and over was Albert J。 Beveridge； the young Senator from Indiana； vigorous； eloquent； fearless； and radical； whose mind and heart were consecrated to Roosevelt。 Beveridge； at least； had no ties； secret or open； with the Trusts； or the Interests； or Wall Street； on the contrary； he attacked them fiercely； and among other Anti…Trust legislation he drove through the Meat Inspection Bill。 How he managed to get on with the gray wolves of the Committee it would be interesting to hear； but we must rid ourselves of the notion that those gray wolves sought personal profit in money by their steering。 None of them was charged with using his position for the benefit of his purse。 Power was what those politicians desired； Power； which gave them the opportunity to make the political tenets of their party prevail。 Orville Platt； or Allison； regarded Republicanism with al most religious fanaticism； and we need not search far in history to find fanatics who were personally very good and tender…hearted men； but who would put heretics to death with a smile of pious satisfaction。
Roosevelt's task was to persuade the Steering Committee to support him in as many of his Radical measures as he could。 They had done this during his first Administration； partly because they did not see whither he was leading。 Senator Hanna； then a member of the Steering Committee； attempted to steady all Republicans who seemed likely to be seduced by Roosevelt's subversive novelties by telling them to 〃stand pat；〃 and； as we look back now； the Senator from Ohio with his stand…pattism broom reminds us of the portly Mrs。 Partington trying to sweep back the inflowing Atlantic Ocean。 During the second Administration； however； no one could plead ignorance or surprise when Roosevelt urged on new projects。 He made no secret of his policies； and he could not have disguised； if he would； the fact that he was thorough。 By a natural tendency the 〃Stand…Patters〃 drew closer together。 Similarly the various elements which followed Roosevelt tended to combine。 Already some of these were beginning to be called 〃Insurgents；〃 but this name did not frighten them nor did it shame them back into the fold of the orthodox Republicans。 As Roosevelt continued his fight for reclamation； conservation； health； and pure foods； and governmental control of the great monopolies； the opposition to him； on the part of the capitalists affected； grew more intense。 What wonder that these men； realizing at last that their unlimited privileges would be taken away from them； resented their deprivation。 The privileged classes in England have not welcomed the suggestion that their great landed estates shall be cut up； nor can we expect that the American dukes and marquises of oil and steel and copper and transportation should look forward with meek acquiescence to their own extinction。
Nevertheless； there is no politics in politics； and so the gray wolves who ran the Republican Party； knowing that Roosevelt； and not themselves； had the determining popular support of the country； were too wary to block him entirely as the Democrats had done under Cleveland。 They let his bills go through； but with more evident reluctance； only after bitter fighting。 And as they were nearly all church members in good standing； we can imagine that they prayed the Lord to hasten the day when this pestilent marplot in the White House should retire from office。 Trusting Roosevelt so far as to believe that he would stand by his pledge not to be a candidate in 1908； they cast about for a person of their own stripe whom they could make the country accept。
But Roosevelt himself felt too deeply involved in the cause of Reform； which he had been pushing for seven years； to allow his successor to be dictated by the Stand…Patters。 So he sought among his associates in the Cabinet for the member who； judging by their work together； would most loyally carry on his policies； and at length he decided upon William H。 Taft； his Secretary of War。 〃Root would make the better President； but Taft would be the better candidate；〃 Theodore wrote to an intimate； and that opinion was generally held in Washington and elsewhere。 Mr。 Root had so conducted the Department of State； since the death of John Hay； that many good judges regarded him as the ablest of all the Secretaries of that Department； and Roosevelt himself went even farther。 〃Root；〃 he said to me； 〃is the greatest intellectual force in American public life since Lincoln。〃 But in his career as lawyer； which brought him to the head of the American Bar； he had been attorney for powerful corporations； and that being the time when the Government was fighting the Corporations； it was not supposed that his candidacy would be popular。 So Taft was preferred to him。
The Republican Machine accepted Taft as a candidate with composure； if not with enthusiasm。 Anyone would be better than Roosevelt in the eyes of the Machine and its supporters； and perhaps they perceived in Secretary Taft qualities not wholly unsympathetic。 They were probably thankful； also； that Roosevelt had not demanded more。 He allowed the 〃regulars〃 to choose the nominee for Vice…President； and he did not meddle with the make…up of the Republican National Committee。 One of his critics； Dean Lewis； marks this as Roosevelt's chief political blunder； because by leaving the Republican National Committee in command he virtually predetermined the policy of the next four years。 Only a very strong President with equal zeal and fighting quality could win against the Committee。 In 1908 he had them so docile that he might have changed their membership； and changed the rules by which elections were governed if he had so willed； but； just as before the election of 1904； Roosevelt had doubted his own popularity in the country； so now he missed his chance because he did not wish to seem to wrest from the unwilling Machine powers which it lost no time in using against him。
The campaign never reached a dramatic crisis。 Mr。 Bryan； the Democratic candidate； who still posed as the Boy Orator of the Platte； although he had passed forty…eight years of age； made a spirited canvass； and when the votes were counted he gained more than a million and a third over the total for Judge Parker in 1904。 But Mr。 Taft won easily by a million and a quarter votes。
Between election and inauguration an ominous disillusion set in。 The Rooseveltians had taken it for granted that the new President would carry on the policies of the old； more than that； the impression prevailed among them that the high officials of the Roosevelt Administration； including some members of his Cabinet； would be retained； but when Inauguration Day came； it appeared that Mr。 Taft had chosen a new set of advisers； and he denied that he had given any one reason to believe that he would do otherwise。
March 4； 1909； was a wintry day in Washington。 A snowstorm and high winds prevented holding the inaugural exercises out of doors as usual on the East Front of the Capitol。 President Roosevelt and President…elect Taft drove in state down Pennsylvania Avenue； and Mr。 Taft； having taken the oath of office； delivered his inaugural address in the Senate Chamber。 The ceremonies being over； Mr。 Roosevelt； instead of accompanying the new President to the White House； went to the railway station and took the train for New York。 This innovation had been planned some time before； because Mr。 Roosevelt had arranged to sail for Europe in a few days； and needed to reach Oyster Bay as soon as possible to complete his preparations。
Many an eye…witness who watched him leave； as a simple civilian； the Hall of Congress； must have felt that with his going there closed one of the most memorable administrations this country had ever known。 Roosevelt departed； but his invisible presence still filled the capital city and frequented every quarter of the Nation。
CHAPTER XX。 WORLD HONORS
What to do with ex…Presidents is a problem which worries those happy Americans who have nothing else to worry over。 They think of an ex…President as of a sacred white elephant； who must not work； although he has probably too little money to keep him alive in proper ease and dignity。 In fact； however； these gentlemen have managed； at least during the past half…century； to sink back into the civilian mass from which they emerged without suffering want themselves or dimming the lustre which radiates from the office。 Roosevelt little thought that in quitting the Presidency he was not going into political obscurity。
Roosevelt had two objects in view when he left the White House。 He sought long and complete rest； and to place himself beyond the reach of politicians。 In fairness； he wished to give Mr。 Taft a free field； which would hardly have been possible if Roosevelt had remained in Washington or New York； where politicians might have had access to him。
Accordingly； he planned to hunt big game in Africa for a year； and in order to have a definite purpose； which might give his expedition lasting usefulness； he arranged to collect specimens for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington。 His second son； Kermit； then twenty years of age； besides several naturalists and hunters； accompanied him。 His expedition sailed from New York on March 23d； touched at the Azores and at Gibraltar； where the English Commander showed him the fortifications； and transshipped at Naples into an East…African liner。 He found his stateroom filled with flowers sent by his admiring friend； Kaiser William II； with a telegram of effusive greeting； and with messages and tokens from minor potentates。 More important to him than these tributes； however； was the presence of Frederick C。 Selous； the m
